Joe Thornton.

[sniper14 0]

thorton will definaty get it if not somehtings wrong here

[Jason Harris 31]

Along the lines of Playoff Beard's argument, Vladimir Guerrero won the AL MVP two years ago for carrying the Angels to the playoffs in September. From what I read at the time, no one had him on their list going into September, but he was other worldly the last month and took home the award.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

thorton will definaty get it if not somehtings wrong here

I think it's all laid out right below, with one exception...I don't think Jagr's game is as complete as Thornton's. No one see's the ice quite like Joe except for maybe Sakic. He's a strong defensively as most defensemen and can control the game in amazing fashion. So, I've changed the last note from the excerpt below....

Okay, so from my name, I may be biased, but I'm only recently a Joe Thornton fan (since he came to SJ) and there's a reason he's now my idol...(Had favorite players before now, but never anyone I'd have considered an idol) 'Nuff said

Since April.

Joe Thornton - 9 games 19 PTS

SJ Sharks last five games 5-0

The Sharks went being out of the playoffs to clinching the 5 seed and making tonight's game meaningless. It's not home ice but it was as high as we could possibly finish.

Jaromir Jagr - 7 games 8 PTS

NY Rangers Last 5 games 1-4

(w/ four straigt losses where NY only scored 2+ goals against PIT )

The Rangers STILL haven't clinched the division and will have to play a meaningful game on the last game of the season losing could result in losing home ice. Making them the exact same team as the sharks...maybe even ONLY a 6th seed. Lack of goaltending is one thing, they need Lundqvist back bad, but, Isn't lack of goal production something Jagr has control over?

It's not how you start, but how you finish.

Thornton - Most Outstanding Player

Thornton - Most Valuable Player

[Cunndies 0]

My take in this is that if Thornton had played like he played in SJ all year, then he'd deserve it. He's SJ's MVP by miles, obviously...but how valuable was he in Boston? He wasn't playing like anything special, and neither were his team.

Jagr's been doing this all year long. Thus, he gets my vote.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

Just some more stats...

Best 5 consecutive games:

Jagr:  13 pts

Thornton: 14 pts

Best 10 consecutive games

Jagr: 21 pts

Joe:  21 pts

Best month:

Jagr:  March 26 pts...2nd best was 22 pts

Joe:  March and December  21 pts

Jagr:  +35 (#1 in league..Bwahahahahaha...Oh man)

Thornton: +31

Now we're heading into baseball stat territory. You can take any point in the season, divide it into a convenient pie and pull the stats you want. Obviously, this is a close race opinion-wise and I think using stats, while giving a picture of the player's performance, doesn't do the award justice.

More than likely, with Jagr being in the East and the West getting little notice except for Kipper and now Thornton & Cheechoo, Jagr's going to get it. How about a "Wayne Gretzky" award for the most assists???

[mack 44]

My take in this is that if Thornton had played like he played in SJ all year, then he'd deserve it. He's SJ's MVP by miles, obviously...but how valuable was he in Boston? He wasn't playing like anything special, and neither were his team.

Okay, well if you're going to count Thornton's time in Boston this season against him you have to count the last month of Jagr's against him.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

My take in this is that if Thornton had played like he played in SJ all year, then he'd deserve it. He's SJ's MVP by miles, obviously...but how valuable was he in Boston? He wasn't playing like anything special, and neither were his team.

Okay, well if you're going to count Thornton's time in Boston this season against him you have to count the last month of Jagr's against him.

Here Here!!!! :D

[The Playoff Beard 0]

My take in this is that if Thornton had played like he played in SJ all year, then he'd deserve it. He's SJ's MVP by miles, obviously...but how valuable was he in Boston? He wasn't playing like anything special, and neither were his team.

Jagr's been doing this all year long. Thus, he gets my vote.

Cunndies you have a good point. I was actually upset at last nights Sharks game that Joe Thornton got Sharks player of they year over Cheechoo, just because he wasn't a Shark all year. But the way this guy has played in all of our must win games, assisting on, come from behind, go-ahead and game winning goals, I have to think he gets the Hart. It's like Salming's Vlad Guerrero argument, you can have a consistent season all year (which Thornton has had, even in Boston his numbers were pretty good.), but with the season being as long as it is, how you finish is just as important as how you start, sometimes more so.

All that being said good luck to Jagr tonight, his team is definitely going to need some offense, even though I think they get out of the first round regardless of home ice advantage.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

... It's like Salming's Vlad Guerrero argument, you can have a consistent season all year (which Thornton has had, even in Boston his numbers were pretty good.), but with the season being as long as it is, how you finish is just as important as how you start, sometimes more so.

Thornton was still the Bruins' leading scorer for almost a month after he left. He must have had some decent numbers - the whole team didn't suck.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

I think we're just about beating the dead horse. It's clearly a very close call with very strong arguments on both sides. I think we could go on forever on this one because each camp feels very strongly about their "candidate". May the best man win and too bad the Hart isn't shared the way the "numbers" awards are.

JMTCW

[milbs06 0]

thornton is winning it forsure....same with cheecoo

[Cunndies 0]

My take in this is that if Thornton had played like he played in SJ all year, then he'd deserve it. He's SJ's MVP by miles, obviously...but how valuable was he in Boston? He wasn't playing like anything special, and neither were his team.

Okay, well if you're going to count Thornton's time in Boston this season against him you have to count the last month of Jagr's against him.

I am ;)

Last 15 games played, JJ has 26 points. Why do people seem to think he's been playing badly?

I mean no slight against Thornton, but I feel his time in Boston counts against him.The Hart trophy is for the *whole* season, no exceptions. Jagr's done it all year, and I don't think Thornton has. Joe deserves the Art Ross, 'cause he scored more points, but not the Hart IMO.

[bullet1 0]

I realize this award is for the whole season, but I remember right when Thorton got traded, didn't San Jose win like 13 out of 14? I think he had the biggest impact on the team and deserves this award. It seems every time I watch Jagr he is a more 1-1 player and doesn't get his team involved as much as Thorton. But take either away from their team and surely they would be much worse and might not even be in the playoffs. Its a tough vote, I know I wouldn't want to have to choose.

[sharks_bazooka_joe_19 0]

I realize this award is for the whole season, but I remember right when Thorton got traded, didn't San Jose win like 13 out of 14? I think he had the biggest impact on the team and deserves this award. It seems every time I watch Jagr he is a more 1-1 player and doesn't get his team involved as much as Thorton. But take either away from their team and surely they would be much worse and might not even be in the playoffs. Its a tough vote, I know I wouldn't want to have to choose.

Actually, they were on a 10-game loosing skid. After their stint as the "Cardiac Kids" they entered a November NOT to remember. Things were looking pretty bleak. I don't have their numbers exactly since they acquired Thornton but lets just say it's way better than 500 hockey. They'd win 2 or 3 then drop one or 2 but that's about as bad as it got.

[The Playoff Beard 0]

My take in this is that if Thornton had played like he played in SJ all year, then he'd deserve it. He's SJ's MVP by miles, obviously...but how valuable was he in Boston? He wasn't playing like anything special, and neither were his team.

Okay, well if you're going to count Thornton's time in Boston this season against him you have to count the last month of Jagr's against him.

I am ;)

Last 15 games played, JJ has 26 points. Why do people seem to think he's been playing badly?

I mean no slight against Thornton, but I feel his time in Boston counts against him.The Hart trophy is for the *whole* season, no exceptions. Jagr's done it all year, and I don't think Thornton has. Joe deserves the Art Ross, 'cause he scored more points, but not the Hart IMO.

He has played the whole season and was the most valuable player on Bostons team also. I think his absence speaks volumes on where Boston is now. I think that Thornton coming from Boston makes him even more valuable. The Sharks were TERRIBLE before he got there, and didn't have a reliable faceoff man and teams started employing the strategy of beating up on the Patrick Marleau line and making all other lines beat them. They really missed having Ricci and Damphousse in that regard.

I understand in the last 15 games JJ has 26 points, that is an amazing feat. But the last 5 games, all of which they HAD to win to secure home ice and win the division, he did not do the things that Thornton did. The 8 wins in a row the Sharks had to get to the 5 seed were because of Joe Thornton. It's unfair to blame the 5 losses and a drop from home ice to the 6th seed on Jagr but to be a non-factor in 5 must win games has to count for something when you are talking about the most valuable player to their team. In a race this close there has to be a deciding factor.

For the record, Thornton thinks that Jagr should win the trophy. :P

[Eazy_b97 1]

When he was on Boston I don't believe they were 25th in the league, which is where they finished. I think they were hovering around .500 maybe a little below. I still think he was climbing the points ladder too at that point.

[bullet1 0]

Ok, I looked at the schedule. San Jose acquired Thorton on Nov. 30. They won 7 out of their next 8 games after losing the 10 games before he got there. Quite a turnaround for adding 1 player. I wouldn't be upset if either guy won the MVP, they both deserve it.

[McCabe24 0]

His PPG was well over 1.00 during his time with Boston and they were around the same record as San Jose at the time.